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Friday, February 29, 2008

After just a little bit of thought, I decided I'd make this blog my main blog rather than my current myspace blog. Although one need not be a myspace member to read my blog there, only myspace members can comment and here I can set it up so anyone can comment, even those not on blogger. In addition, I can comment on blogs on this site of friends who have set theirs up to only allow fellow blogger members to comment, so I solve two problems with one solution. How good is that?

Anyway, of course lots has been happening and while I most certainly have work I need to get done for classes, I also like to keep this thing relatively updated. For starters, I'm all but accepted to the graduate program I applied to at Kent State, known as the Master of Arts in Teaching program or MAT. I interviewed with the liason to the school of Music today and we laid out the plan for me to finish some undergrad classes they want me to take and to make sure I knew what I was getting into. I'm ahead of most who apply to the MAT because of how far I got in the Music Education degree I was in before coming back to Kent State. About a week ago I met with this same person and because of the way BYU-Idaho labels their classes versus how Kent State does, it seemed like I was missing a lot of the required undergrad coursework and so would need to take basically an additional semester of undergrad work before I could start the program at all. I turned in the application to the College of Education on its due date, February 15, not even sure I would be able to get accepted at all. Sure am glad I just went ahead and did it rather than wait or assume I didn't qualify. Now I just sit back and wait for the paperwork to come and make it official. I did find out today that I will be the first Music major to be in the MAT in almost 10 years. Basically, the program is designed for people who took classes in their field (science, music, art, etc.) and now want to add the teaching certificate. For music ed, they basically want me to come into the program having completed or nearly completed the requirements for that program (not including classes from the College of Education, just from the School of Music). BYU-Idaho and KSU have slightly different programs as no two programs are alike, so there are things that one emphasizes that the other doesn't and vice versa.

As it stands now, I'll be starting classes during the first summer session and I'll also be taking some in the third summer session. I'm not excited about taking classes in the summer, but if it means I can FINALLY get done with school and move on in life, so be it. It will be interesting to see how this affects my involvement in "This is Kirtland!" this summer. I hope I can do the show, but I'm worried I won't be able to if classes interfere with rehearsals. The one thing in my favor is that I know the show pretty well (been in it three years in a row), so I could miss some rehearsals and not fall behind. I haven't seen the schedules for either the show or classes yet, so there isn't much I can think about now. Oh well.

On a brighter note, I'll be heading to Bowling Green tomorrow to watch Kent State take on BG at Anderson Arena. I've never been to Bowling Green before and I hardly ever get to go on a road trip for a game like that. The last big one I did was when Katie and I paid $50 and rode a bus with a bunch of Kent State fans to Toledo to watch Kent State play in the Women's MAC tournament final there in 1999. I've also seen the men's and women's teams play in the MAC tournament in Cleveland since they moved there in 2000 and I saw the Kent State men play at Akron in 2000 or 2001. The game tomorrow will mark the first game in the history of Kent State basketball where the Flashes will take the floor as a ranked team. Kinda crazy since KSU basketball has been around now for 95 years (since 1913) that this is the first time they've EVER been ranked during the regular season (they were ranked 12th in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches poll in 2002 after their run to the Elite Eight). All I care about is the win! JUST WIN KENT! I'm also excited to see my good friend Michelle, who lives near Toledo, and to see a game in Anderson Arena. I always enjoy being able to see other sporting arenas and stadiums and see what works and what doesn't. The only other MAC arena I've ever been in besides Kent State's is Akron's James A. Rhoads Arena (known as the JAR), and it has to be the worst I've ever been in (sadly, it's not that old either).

OK, so my first major blog on this new site is quite long. I better wrap it up here.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

So I've noticed more and more of my friends have a blog on this site. I like to read their blogs and comment, but so many don't allow anonymous comments, so I have no way to comment. I do have my own blog on myspace, but only myspace people can leave comments. It's located at http://blog.myspace.com/jonridinger. For now, that's all I'll say. I'll probably eventually make this my permanent blog, but for now it'll be at myspace! Check it out...

WELCOME

About Me

I'm a full-time teacher for grades pre3 through 7 in music, technology, and social studies, and I also work part-time for the Cleveland Browns in Guest Services. I'm a Kent State University alum (bachelor's and master's), a native of Kent, Ohio, and a Latter-day Saint (Mormon). My hobbies include travel, photography, history, architecture, and sports.